


Bright as Daylight

by TooManyBooksToRead



Category: Winx Club
Genre: Arranged Marriage, Diaspro is relevant but not really there, Fluff, Gen, King Erendor is just the worst, Male-Female Friendship, Mentions of alcohol, Some angst, background politics, mentions of both Bloom/Sky and Diaspro/Sky, mentions of divorce, mildly AU, most of the specialists are there for like a single line, same goes for the winx
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-04
Updated: 2020-01-04
Packaged: 2021-02-27 16:22:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 18,771
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22110073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TooManyBooksToRead/pseuds/TooManyBooksToRead
Summary: Stella and Sky through the agesor 5 + 1 moments of Stella and Sky's friendship
Relationships: Brandon & Sky & Stella (Winx Club), Brandon/Stella (Winx Club), Sky & Stella (Winx Club)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 54





	Bright as Daylight

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [The Glass House.](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20725388) by [svevijah](https://archiveofourown.org/users/svevijah/pseuds/svevijah). 



> Alright, so first thanks for giving this fic a chance it's an idea I'm very fond of and likely to come back to. I've liked the idea of Stella and Sky being friends since forever and recently came across The Glass House by svevijah and my mind went off. The title may change.

The first time Stella meets Prince Sky of Eraklyon she is seven and he is six and he’s visiting her kingdom with his parents.

Stella watches from the top of the stairway as the small blonde boy runs behind Queen Erendor and Queen Samara with a brunette trailing fairly close to him, she can’t help but think it odd that the other boy is allowed to be around Sky, much less as close to him as he is.

Still, it is not polite to inquire about possibly controversial topics – especially as the host – so Stella walks gracefully down the stairs so she can stand beside her parents as they greet the visiting royals.

After the official greetings, the adults leave them in one of the empty drawing rooms to go discuss whatever the trade dealings they’ve come to negotiate and Stella pouts as her parents leave (they haven’t fought once all week and she’d love to spend time with them while it sticks).

Three failed attempts to find out where the meeting is being held later she resigns herself to her fate and finally turns around to look at the other people in the room with her.

Prince Sky has apparently spent the last half-hour building a fort with the help of his companion, he and the brunette were currently trying to push one of the larger couches closer to their makeshift structure to make a wall.

Stella considered her options for a second, her mother would not be pleased with the disregard for decorum and the state of the furniture, on the other hand, mom and dad were always saying she should spend more time with people her age when she had the chance to.

“You guys need any help?” she asked already making her way to the other end of the couch.

“Sure,” said the brunette, “Sky here can barely lift a training sword so I’d appreciate the extra hands.”

“Hey I take offence to that,” yelled Sky from where he was sprawled on the floor.

Stella giggled and turned to the other boy, “So what’s your name?” she asked.

“I’m Brandon, nice to meet you, Princess Stella!”

She made a face her manners tutor would surely scold her for at the use of her title.

“I’ll have none of that!” she said resolutely, “If we’re gonna be friends then we’re dropping the titles.”

She didn’t get any time to appreciate Brandon’s surprised face before a blur of golden hair had tackled her to the ground. 

“You really wanna be friends with us!” Sky should not be allowed to look that cute, he looked like one of the newborn doves from the royal aviary, eyes wide and full of wonder.

“Sure pipsqueak,” she said trying to shove him off her, “Now get up we have a fort to build.”

They spend hours making every piece of furniture in the room into a piece of the structure and filling the inside with throw pillows and fancy upholstery.

“Hey, Stella!” 

She turns to Sky only to be hit in the face by a flying pillow. He stands still for a second as if to gauge her reaction and Brandon off to the side looks ready to put himself in between them in a second.

Sha stays gaping at him before picking up a pillow and smiling wildly, “Oh that’s it you little monster. You want a fight I’ll give you a fight!”

The dramatic effect of her declaration of war is lost when she horribly misses her mark and hits Brandon who with a warcry declares a pillow fight. They dash and run around the fort hitting each other with the pillows and throwing them all over the place until finally tired they collapse in the nest right at the centre of the fort.

“For the record,” she says, her head laying on Sky’s chest and Brandon sprawled on her legs, “I won the fight.”

“Nuh-uh!” shouts Sky sitting up and knocking her into a pile of pillows, “I definitely had you cornered at the end there.”

“Guys calm down,” says Brandon, “We all know I won.”

Their arguing quickly devolves into bickering which then turns into a challenge of best out of three and so they spend the rest of the afternoon chasing each other around the drawing-room and laughing when Sky trips or when Stella almost knocks some artefact over.

Later as they sit inside the fort seeing who could tell the funniest stories, laughing until they could barely breathe she decides she likes having friends her age.

~~~~~~

Stella is ten when she decides to be a fairy. She is visiting Eraklyon to spend some quality time with Sky and Brandon when her magic starts to manifest. As a member of the Royal Solarian Family her magic was almost guaranteed to be light-based so it isn’t that much of a surprise when she turns into a living flare while she and Sky sit in his room complaining about the stuffy ball going on downstairs.

“I mean it’s awful! Half the guys down there keep asking if I’d enter a courtship with them,” she says with a grimace, “I won’t even be eligible for marriage until my Princess Ball!”

“At least all they do is ask,” he says flopping facefirst on the bed, “There’s this girl who keeps saying she’s my future wife. And with my parents telling I’m engaged I fear it might be true.”

“They still won’t tell you who they’ve sold you off to!” she says still enraged at the decision, “You’re what?  _ Nine? _ You shouldn’t be engaged yet, much less with no idea to whom!”

“Thanks for reminding me of how awful this is, that’s  _ really _ helpful.” He replies his voice dripping with sarcasm.

“Well there’s gotta be something we can do about this!” she’s so frustrated she doesn’t notice she’s glowing the air around her heating up as she paces.

“Stel,” Sky sounds concerned but she brushes it off, this is about him right now.

“And to think they don’t even consult you at all for the selection of your bride to be!” she’s steaming now, leaving charred footprints in the carpet as she radiates concentrated sunlight.

“Stella,” he says again, it’s his  _ please listen to me before you make a mistake  _ voice which is really annoying since  _ he’s _ the more impulsive of the two.

“Why don’t they  _ listen? _ Is that so hard? To just sit down and have a conversation where they don’t just hide  _ everything? _ ” small lasers are shooting off her fingers as she waves her hands around now, a thin stream of smoke rising from where a curtain caught fire.

“ _ Stella! _ ” he yells finally snapping her out of her tirade, he walks in front of her and holds out his arms for a hug.

Stella takes barely a second to collapse sobbing into his arms, she’s a mess tonight but it’s just all so  _ unfair _ ; his marriage, her parents, the fact that they’re hiding up here because the ball downstairs means facing the court and pitting on the plastic smiles she’s sure they’re much too young to have perfected. 

Sky leads her to his bed where they sit in silence for a while, neither making any move to let go.

“Are they fighting again?” he asks softly, directly in her ear like he wants to keep the rest of the world from knowing about her damage and everything she’s doing wrong and how it keeps pushing them apart.

He feels her nod from where she’s ticked her head against his chest.

“Do you wanna talk about it?” 

She looks up with tear-streaked eyes before shaking her head no and clutching him tighter.

“So your magic is coming in,” he says very awkwardly trying to change the topic.

“No fucking shit,” she deadpans before elbowing him in the side, “how’d you reach that conclusion oh genius of Eraklyon!”

“ _ Ouch _ , hit a man while he’s down won’t you?”

“Of course!” she replies with a chuckle, it’s strained but she’s laughing and currently that’s all he cares about.

“So,” he continues, “have you thought about where you’d like to train?”

“Not really,” she says “Dad would probably want to send me to Beta Academy for Sorcerers, it aligns with the family line, mom would advocate for the Solarian Mage Academy.”

“But what do  _ you  _ want?” he presses.

“I dunno, to be far away from home, just for a while.”

“Hmmm,” he thinks about it for a moment, “Why don’t you go to Alfea?”

Stella looks startled like she hadn’t considered one of the best institutes for magic users at all.

“I don’t know, I’d be the first fairy of the royal family in like 12 generations.” She paused for a second before muttering, “Plus I’d be so far away from home with no friends.”

“I mean fairies are super cool, have you seen some of that old battle footage of Headmistress Faragonda? I’m pretty sure she could contain an army. And the Roccalucian Nymphs too!”

Stella was very silent in that moment, for someone as loud and bright as her it felt strange to see her so still and hesitant. 

“I’m not sure I’m cut out for being a fairy.” She said it quietly like she’d given it more thought than it would seem she would. 

“Stella, you are the strongest, kindest person I've ever met if anyone I know is cut out to be a fairy it’s definitely you.” He said resolutely.

“Alright let’s say I hypothetically go to Alfea, I’d be all alone in Magix, for four years. There’s no way I could do that.”

Stella looked very sad, Sky didn't like it when Stella was sad she was always making him smile and seeing her tear-streaked face he couldn't help but think it was unfair. She decided Stella should never have to be sad like this. 

Then like lightning inspiration struck. 

“Then I promise I’ll go to Red Fountain! My parents want me to go to a military school anyway," he kept going when he saw Stella perk up, "That way we can stay close and get away from this mess for a while.”

“That  _ is _ a sound idea,” she said biting her lip. 

“Deal?" he asked extending a pinky. 

“Deal.” She said linking her pinky with his, “Now if only we didn’t have to go back to the stupid ball.”

They stay silent for a second before Sky pulled out his phone.

“What are you doing?” she asks rubbing the tears from her cheeks.

“Screw the stupid ball! I’m calling Brandon, he’ll help us sneak into the kitchen we can grab anything that tastes remotely sweet and hole up here playing net games for the rest of the night.”

She seems to consider it for a moment before adding, “I get to do your nails. Both of you.”

And if for the next month Sky shows up to court with bright neon pink nails Brandon has no grounds to tease him with his own shade of neon orange.

~~~~~~

They are both thirteen when they find out they’re engaged. 

It's Sky's birthday and this time the whole family travelled to Eraklyon to celebrate, Stella has a love-hate relationship with family trips, family trips mean keeping up appearances and wearing a mask for every person in the room but family trips also mean mom and dad fight less, or at least less openly. 

They've spent the week leading up to the celebration in the palace, which is great because it means more time to spend with time and see his dorky ass fail at sword-fighting with Brandon. 

They say spend the whole week together, running around the castle and sneaking through the servants' halls and avoiding their parents like their lives depend on it and it's the best time Stella has had in a while. 

It gets cut short on the day before the big ball because they get summoned to the throne room, intimidating enough without a direct summons from King Erendor. 

They walk to the throne room in anxious silence, holding hands as servants scurry away from the central wing.

"Dad's irritable today," Sky whispers as another group of servants dash away for the hidden service corridors, "the staff is only this anxious when they think he's going to blow up at them." 

She says nothing but squeezes his hand in what she hopes is a reassuring gesture.

And then they're there, before the giant carved oak doors of the throne room looming over their tiny selves. 

Stella takes a deep breath and looks at Sky before letting go of his hand to smooth her skirts, she can swear she sees the servant give them an apologetic look as they announce them and open the door. 

"Your Majesties," she says demurely as she takes a bow before the throne, not too deep but enough to be respectful. 

"Father, Mother," Sky calls from beside her his head slightly bowed in deference to his king. 

King Erendor does indeed look like he's about to bite someone's head off. Queen Samara while not angry does have an eerily blank face. 

"Rise." King Erendor's voice is stern his face very much showing displeasure. 

The reason for his displeasure becomes obvious at the sound of raised voices nearing the entrance, Stella cringes at what was surely a heated argument between her parents if they'd been fighting out in the open as guests. 

"She's  _ thirteen! _ " she hears her mother start before abruptly cutting off as the servant at the door announces them. 

"Their Majesties King Radius and Queen Luna of Solaria!" his voice echoes in the silent throne room. 

The atmosphere is stifling as the Solarian monarchs greet the Eraklyon monarchs and Stella feels the urge to cut the tense atmosphere with a laser blast. 

Anything that King Erendor needed to tell them that required her parents’ presence wasn't good. Not good at all. 

"Children we have called you here today to inform you of information vital to your future, and the responsibilities you are expected to bear," King Erendor starts with the cadence of someone who has rehearsed a speech until it is perfect. 

Stella starts seeing the red flags everywhere, any private conversation that required all of them to be here and necessitated a well-rehearsed speech was bound to be bad news. Rehearsing a speech for a private conversation always means bad news, like the time mom told her Grandma Crescent was dying or when Uncle Orion had told Father that Uncle Nova wasn't going to come back. 

Before Stella could contemplate grabbing Sky and jumping out the nearest window her dad picked up where King Erendor had left off. 

"Now we know that you are about to start a period of your lives filled with changes," he looked pointedly at her mom as he said this, "and while change can be terrifying it is a necessary part of life."

Stella didn't like this, she didn't like this one bit. 

"Sometimes decision are made that affect us and we have to learn to live with the consequences," Queen Samara continued earning a scoff from her mother, "and it is best that we learn to adapt and live with those changes." 

Stella was tense, she'd been edging closer to Sky and had unconsciously assumed one of the fighting stances her magic instructors had taught her. 

"As much as I loathe to say it we want what is best for you, even if it doesn't seem that way," finished her mom with a defeated sigh. 

Stella was getting tired of the vagueness of the conversation and if King Erendor's face was anything to go by he was getting impatient too. 

"You two have been betrothed," said King Erendor. 

The implications of that statement took a while to sink in. She felt lightheaded like the floor had been ripped from under her feet. 

She heard a soft "Oh," come from the place Sky had been a second ago before the world came back into sharp focus very suddenly. 

She ran. 

She couldn't wait around and see them discuss the details of her marriage. Her marriage to  _ Sky _ . 

Sky who was her best friend, Sky who was her escape from politics, Sky who she could always count on. 

She couldn't deal with this, not here, not now, not  _ ever _ . 

She veered sharply off course heading for the gardens instead of her own room, she needed space between places her parents would try to look for her. 

She couldn't deal with another princess duties talk right now. Not with the world folding into itself until she couldn't quite recognize anything anymore. 

When she finally stopped she looked around to find herself in the middle of the hedge maze, she groaned looking at the crossroads in front of her. 

Getting out of here was gonna be a pain, she sucked mazes on a bad day to say nothing of one where she was an emotional wreck. 

She could try a guiding spell but she doubted she'd be able to focus enough to cast it. Defeated she laid down of the soft grass to soak up the sun. 

She closed her eyes and focused on her breathing and the warmth of the sun on her skin. She felt how her magic, that had unknowingly coiled up ready to attack started to let go and flow outwards, radiating a warm glow in the surrounding area. 

It was only because of the magic that she was releasing that she noticed footsteps she peeked an eye open to see Sky sprawled on the ground next to her. 

The moment was nice but there was a weird sense of finality to it. 

"We should talk about it," he finally said. 

And he was right for once, they should talk about it and of course, he was being the mature one and bringing it up even if she was older. 

She realized with a pang of bitterness that he had been expecting an arranged marriage of this type for years. She felt an urge to bask King Erendor's face in Sky shouldn't have to be used to this idea. 

Her fury scorched the ground and she focused on the breathing exercises she'd been taught to keep a hold on her magic. 

She exhaled and turned on her side to look at him "Yeah, you're right we should." 

"I mean this is definitely not ideal but it could be worse," he said, "I could be marrying Diaspro or maybe you could be engaged to some guy thrice your age." 

She knew he was right, she'd hear the horror stories of girls engaged to men far too old as a way to secure their titles and holdings, it was true that it wasn't a worst-case scenario but that didn't mean it wasn't bad. 

"I definitely don't like it. I don't like you that way, you're like an annoying brother," she said, "plus I don't want to end up like them." she finished softly. 

"We're not," he said firmly. 

He had that look in his eye, the one he had when he was about to do something really stupid or really brave, brimming with determination. 

The last time he'd had that look he spent a week in the infirmary in Solaria because he tried to jump off the main stairway to the ground floor on a dare from Brandon. 

He suddenly jumped up and offered her a hand. "C'mon we need to do something!" 

He pulled her up and dragged her through the maze until they reached an ornate fountain in what was presumably the centre of the maze. 

The fountain was beautiful but weirdly lacking in water, a trio of nymphs held aloft a beautiful flower that was in full bloom their flowing skirts falling over the steps that sunk into the path. 

Sky started fiddling with the polished stone near the base of the flower, his tongue was sticking out as he concentrated on running his fingers along the carved ridges of the petals. 

Finally, he lets out a squeak of delight, there's a small clicking sound before he backs away and then a rumbling sound as the stairs around the nymphs started to sink into the ground. 

She gaped at the very impractical not at all cool secret entrance in the centre of the hedge maze. 

"Cool right!" she heard Sky say as he started descending the stairs, "you coming?" 

She grinned and pushed into the passage and conjuring a small orb of light to guide them through the darkness. 

Sky pressed one of the wall tiles and the top few stairs pushed back up. 

Sky guided them through the passages giggling as they ran in the near darkness, she quickly lost track of where they were going, losing herself in the laughter and the adventure of it all.

“Almost there,” he said taking a sharp right turn before stopping in front of a large ornate door.

“Are we breaking into the treasury?” she asked raising an eyebrow.

“I mean is it breaking in if I own it?” he shot back.

“Clever, you should spend more time with Bandon and see if it keeps rubbing off.” She said ruffling his hair as she pushed the door open.

The room itself was impressive, the walls inlaid with golden filigree and tiny crystals that sparkled under the light, it was also filled to the brim with gold and gems as well as jewellery and ancient heirlooms.

Sky takes her to a small alcove filled to the brim with jewellery and picks up a ring, it’s a small simple thing a silver band encrusted with a large amber gem that reflects the light it catches, nothing too eye-catching, nothing that will be missed.

And suddenly the sombre atmosphere is back and Sky is looking at her, looking at her like he looks at Brandon when he does something stupid for once or like he looks during their hours-long holo-calls where they bare their hearts out over the private network and promise to always be there.

He looks sincere and nervous and just a smidge happy.

“There’s nothing we can really  _ do _ about our engagement,” he starts and it’s too real a thought, too bare a truth to keep looking him in the eyes, but he still goes on, “I don’t know if this will stick and I’m not sure how things are gonna be moving forward, I don’t love you,” the words almost break her heart but he keeps going before she can sink into bad thoughts, “at least not like that but I do know for certain that you are my best friend, the best friend anyone in the whole magic dimension could ever ask for,” he says it with the same conviction he says everything, wholeheartedly, like he would bet his heart and his kingdom on the power of his words alone.

She stays quiet.

“I know we can – we  _ will –  _ make this work but I want to make you this promise, marriage or no marriage you will always be my best friend and I’ll always be there for you.” He punctuates this by sliding the ring on her finger. “Always.”

“You know this feels kind of like a proposal right?” she finally says but makes no move to remove the ring.

“Yeah.”

“Brandon is gonna be crushed to know he’s not your best friend,” she teases.

“Brandon can deal with it.”

“You know this means we’re stuck together, right pipsqueak?”

“You can call me pipsqueak when you’re taller than me again,” he says instead of answering, “race ya to the castle!”

“No fair I don’t know the tunnel you little monster!”

She laughs and they leave the treasury happy and together, using the tunnels to sneak their way back to his room where they spend the night watching stupid action flicks.

And if Queen Samara notices Stella wearing an Eraklyan heirloom during her son’s birthday party she makes no comments.

~~~~~~

Stella is fifteen when her engagement to Sky is broken off, she has no idea  _ why _ it was broken off but that doesn't stop her from breaking into Sky's room to go party. 

They sneak off palace grounds through the tunnel in the hollow tree and get ready to hit the town dragging a very reluctant sleep-addled Brandon behind them. 

"If you wanted to get smashed why couldn't you just do it in the castle, where it's safe and not cold as fuck, " he whined as Stella led them through Solaria city's club scene. 

"Stop being a buzzkill," Sky said wrapping an arm around Brandon, "weren't you saying that you wanted to party?" 

"Yes, I wanted to party. Not babysit my disaster idiots while they get drunk.” He answered with a deadpan expression.

“Look we just wanted to celebrate that I don’t have to marry my best friend and forever watch her dancing my second best friend,” Sky said shoving Bandon into Stella, “Yay for love!”

As much as they didn’t exactly like it they had kinda warmed up to the idea that they’d end up married, that they could make it work as best friends, the engagement being broken off had hit Sky especially hard since that piece of news was followed up with the certainty of another fiancé waiting just around the corner for him.

"Oh come on we'll hit a couple of bars, have some fun on the dance floor and get some drinks so we can get all the angst out of his system in a single go," she said with a smile, "what can go wrong?"

And with that phrase Brandon knew he wouldn't catch a break the whole night, the royal disaster would get very very drunk, Sky would get extra mopey like he always got when drink and Stella would swing from emotional mess to life of the party with the speed of lighting until she finally exhausted herself and he had to carry them both back to the palace and face the wrath of the Kings since he had absolutely no idea where the entrance to the tunnel they all left through was.

“No!” he said digging his heels into the sidewalk, “I’m not gonna trail you as you get your drunk asses lost in Solaria city.”

They both stopped and turned to look at him like kicked baby hounds. He faltered. 

Manipulators both of them he thought as they entered a club, Stella immediately getting lost in the mass of people on the dancefloor as Sky navigated through the crowds so they could sit at the bar.

He needed to get some new friends stat. 

Resigned to his fate and the inherent shortness of his life he stayed nursing his drink and watching Stella live it up on the floor, she was glowing much like she always was, the centre of attention, the eye of the storm. Beautiful and deadly, wielding her smiles like knives and her heels like combat boots. She’d make a great fairy someday.

He’d apparently been staring too long because Sky said, “You should just ask her while you still can.”

Startled Bandon almost dropped his drink before turning to glare at Sky.

“No,” he said glaring.

They’d had this conversation before, a lot of times, way too many for Brandon’s comfort especially taking the fact that most of those conversations had happened when his best friend had been engaged to the girl in question.

“You’ll regret it more if you don’t even try,” Sky said wistfully, “her parents are very likely to let her choose, and  _ you _ have the privilege of  _ making _ a choice so you should take it.” 

Wow, Sky should not be allowed to make good points, it was unnerving to see him be the voice of reason.

“Sky we’ve gone over this –” he started before Sky cut him off angrily.

“No you listen to me for once,” and it must’ve been the alcohol talking because Sky didn’t usually yell like this, “you two have been skirting around each other for a very long time, and  _ I know you _ , I know  _ both _ of you. You both want this, a lot, and I’m tired of seeing you make yourselves miserable when I can tell how happy you’d be together.” He was gesturing wildly and he’d definitely had more alcohol than he should've but he didn’t let that stop him, “You love her, and she loves you. So what if you’re on borrowed time! Isn’t all the happiness you could get, all the time you could have worth the effort? Isn’t it better to try and get that happiness than languish in misery until you’ve turned bitter from the inside out?!”

“Sky I –”

“No,” he said, “I don’t want to hear it, I’m gonna go find Stella and have some fun while I still can, maybe you should sit here and reconsider some of your priorities.”

Fuming Sky vanished into the sea of dancing people looking for Stella, he was mad at Brandon and at Stella too, how could they be so very obviously dismissive of the happiness they had just within their grasp, keep denying themselves that chance to be happy out of the fear of it ending. Well no more, he knew he was the reckless idiot of the group but that just meant he had free reign to beat it into his friends head that they should seize the happiness they had.

He found Stella exactly where she thought she’d be, right in the middle of the dancefloor living life like it was her last day, he wondered why this same confidence didn't spill into other areas of her life, why she couldn’t let herself shine just as bright in front of their parents or when she wanted to tell Brandon what she felt. It wasn’t okay.

Stella was like a fish in water when she was amongst people, weaving in and around conversations with ease, he’d never had that same grace, lived most of the time with his foot in his mouth until she helped him out of the graves he dug with his words.

“Hey Stel, wanna grab a bite?” he asked when he thought he was withing an acceptable hearing range.

Stella turned towards him with a smile as bright as the suns of Solaria, her very presence lightening his bad mood.

“Sure!” she called out easily moving around people towards him and to a booth in the back of the club where he’d probably elbowed at least three people in the face to reach her.

Once they’re at the table her demeanour changes, she’s still just as sunny and happy but it feels lighter, softer, this is one of those sides of her few people see and he’s always happy that he gets to see it so often.

They order some snacks and settle into a comfortable silence sitting next to each other with Stella laying her head on his shoulder.

“You okay?” she asks turning her head to look up at him, “I know you don’t want to be married off to the next highest bidder.”

Sky sighed, “I – I’m not sure I’ll ever be okay with it, but I’ve come to terms with this being something that I just can’t avoid.”

“I’m sorry it didn’t work out.” She says quietly, “and for what it's worth it would’ve been fun to be married to you, we’d certainly drive the courts crazy.”

“I can imagine it,” he laughed, “Countess Cassandra would flip that you’d married a foreigner, and she’d always be running her mouth about how I wasn’t good enough for the Princess of Solaria.”

She snorted already picturing the courtiers paling at Cassandra’s very lengthy opposition before the wedding vows could be called.

“You know we could have made a killer political team,” she nudged his side, “you may put your foot in your mouth often but you know how to convince people of what you need them to think and I have an information network to rival the Crown’s.”

“Well nothing is stopping us from still becoming a force to reckoned with,” he said, “the rulers of the magic dimension will learn our might.”

That finally made her crack up as she leaned away from him laughing until she’d run out of breath.

“You sound like a cheap cartoon villain!” she said still cackling.

“I do!” he replied laughing along with her.

“It wouldn’t have been a fairytale romance but it would’ve been fun.”

“This doesn’t mean we won’t be in each other's lives anymore, does it?” he asks apprehensively, “You may not be legally written into my future anymore but you know I still want to have you around right?”

Stella looks at him softly, political games have always gotten in his head more easily than they do in hers, “Of course I want you around idiot!” she says it wholeheartedly, “I  _ chose _ to be your friend and I’d choose it again a hundred times over, or did you forget out promise?” she finishes raising her hand so he can see the Eraklyan ring on her finger, right by the Sword Ring’s side.

“It’s just,” he pauses like he can’t quite figure out how to say what he wants to say, “sometimes it’s easy to forget that I’m still capable of taking some matters into my own hands, make decisions about my life, that kind of stuff.”

And Stella understands, her parents may not be as controlling as Sky’s but she still has expectations heaved upon her shoulders, she still has to make nice with the Ladies of the Court and bind herself to the Sword Ring. They’ve grown up fast and special and trapped and Sky has always had the kind of free spirit that feels those walls more acutely than she ever did.

“Then let’s make a big, very parentally unapproved life decision right now, go ahead, tell me what it is and I’ll help you make it real.” She says.

They eat in silence while he thinks about it, which is good because as wonderful as not parent policed choices are it wouldn’t do for him to make some rash, reckless choice like running away. Mostly because she knows she would help him do it anyway.

“I want you to be my best man,” he says suddenly, “At my wedding, I don’t want you back there in the crowd but right by my side.”

“Oh but Sky, what would Brandon say!” she says then in her best fake snobbish impression, “Why a woman as his best man,  _ how scandalous _ .” 

They both crack up, laughter lightening the atmosphere between them.

“Brandon has always known you're my best friend,” he says between cackles, “if he has a problem he’ll just have to deal with it.”

“Oh it’ll be great, I’ll wear a suit and everything, upset the hell out of all the uptight courtiers,” and then like a strike of lighting she gets a wonderful idea, “But on one condition,” she says and before Sky has a chance to look crestfallen, “you’ll be my maid of honour! Dress and everything!”

Sky smiles the widest she’s seen of him since the news.

“Oh, that’s fantastic! Stella, you are a genius!”

“I know,” she says, “the press will eat it right up. And isn’t this better, silver linings and all that.”

“You know, you should also look at the bright side, this means you’re free to choose again,” he said and she could pick up the tinge of sadness in his tone, “maybe you should finally do something about  _ someone _ .”

Stella immediately blushed red to the tips of her ears hiding her face with her long blonde hair.

“Sky! You  _ know _ why I haven’t, he definitely doesn’t want to and I’m not going to make him do it!”

“He’s an idiot who keeps thinking he isn’t good enough for you and  _ you _ are an idiot that deserves the happiness this relationship would bring her and I’ll hear nothing more of it!” then in a softer voice he continued, “You love him, Stella, you look at him like he’s your sun and moon and I can tell he does the same with you.”

Stella bit her lip and looked away.

“Just don’t deny yourself the chance to be happy when it’s completely in your hands.” He finishes.

“I – I don’t know if I’ll do it but I'm willing to try.”

Sky smiled, “That’s all I can ask of you. Now if you excuse me I’m gonna go to the bar to get drunk and cry a lot.”

Back at the bar, Brandon had been stewing in his thoughts since Sky left. He'd noticed him go off to the booths with Stella and satisfied that they didn't look close to passing out. 

He’s broken from his troubled thoughts when Sky slams into the barstool next to him and groans. 

Brandon takes a second to signal the bartender for two more beers before asking, "So the melancholy finally kicked in?" and nudging one of the drinks closer to his hand. 

"I'm still trapped," he stopped and downed half the glass in one go, "sure it's a nice gilded gold cage but it's so suffocating sometimes. Marrying my best friend wasn't ideal but it at least gave me the freedom to choose how to face it, we were in it together and now I'm back to being engaged to someone who I’ll probably only meet for my wedding day and I hate this! I'm going to be trapped forever, maybe next they'll tell me I can't go to Red Fountain next year. I mean when was the last time I actually got to choose something that mattered in my life that hasn’t been taken away at the last second?"

And it was this moment, this moment that was so familiar yet so starkly different for once, Sky drunk and mopey and rambling about how his engagement sucked wasn't new, hearing his reasoning was newer. It put some things into perspective; life was all about give and take after all and for all of Sky's privileges there was a catch and a responsibility and a restraint put in place. 

And if life was a balance it’s about time he started to prioritize the things that had the most value. He turned and started scanning the crowd, looking for the star they all orbited around. 

She was there in the centre of the floor dancing with a girl and smiling like she never seemed to when at the palace. 

He downed his beer, and Sky's for good measure. He'd need all the courage he could get to not back away. 

"I'm gonna do it," he muttered and then louder, "I'm going to do this!" 

His rise in volume caught Sky's attention and thus he looked up in time to see Brandon march off in Stella's direction with the look of a man gone to war.

She was like a shining beacon as he made his way to her, her smile brightening as she noticed him entering the dancefloor.

“So Mr Buzzkill decided to have some fun,” she said grabbing his hand, “well now that you’re here you owe me a dance.”

He laughed and let himself be pulled along with her, she was a force of nature bright glimmering sunshine that lit up his world whenever he was around her. 

As they danced he couldn’t help but be taken in by her beauty, her amber eyes and her long blonde hair reflecting the dancing lights of the club and he thought with renewed – and probably drunken courage he leaned in and rested his forehead against hers.

As words failed him he did his best to try to convey his feeling to her, to make her understand what he was asking of her. 

“Stella I –” he murmured so close he could smell her perfume.

“You talk too much,” she said suddenly before leaning in and closing the distance between them.

He thought he could hear Sky wolf-whistling in the background but he couldn’t quite process it over the fact that Stella was kissing him. Stella who shoved Sky down the stair bannister and jumped right after, Stella who snuck into his room to talk when he was visiting, Stella who had a laugh like bells and who shone like the starts that were her namesake, Stella who he’d had the most massive, most embarrassing crush on for the longest time.

He scrambled to kiss back, to pour all his love and all his longing and all his hopes of  _ us _ into the kiss.

It must’ve worked because when he pulled back Stella was smiling barely contained glee in her eyes as she slipped her hand in his and intertwined their fingers together.

Their moment is broken as a sobbing blonde mess crashes into them saying things like _ finally _ and  _ I thought I’d have to lock you two in a supply closet _ and  _ you two sure took your time huh _ .

They’ll talk later he decides and walking back to the castle as the suns of Solaria begin to rise with his hand in Stella’s and a half-asleep Sky leaning on his shoulder he thinks he’d like to enjoy this while he can.

~~~~~~

Stella is sixteen and just blew up the Potions Lab, she is angry and confused and she’s trying to make a new shade of pink to avoid thinking about it.

She feels enraged as she waits outside of Headmistress Faragonda’s office, she’s probably going to be expelled. Good, maybe then her parents will pay attention, will realize what’s happening and stop fighting for enough time to help.

She knew she wasn’t cut out to be a fairy no matter what Sky said, she’s too jagged, too broken. Why would they have split up if she wasn’t a problem?

The call comes just as Miss Griselda comes to fetch her so she can hear the final verdict.

“Miss Stella –”

Stella doesn’t spare the Head of Discipline a single glance as she picks up the phone, she can hear Sky’s voice but doesn’t register any of his words because all she can hear are the soft sobs he’s doing his best to suppress.

“I’ll be at your dorm in 20, tell Brandon he can come if he wants to,” she says resolutely then in a softer voice, “just hold on for a bit more.”

She hangs up and is instantly dialling one of Sky’s Teammates, Timmy. “I’ve got no time to explain but Brandon needs my help and if you don’t let me into Red Fountain  _ I will _ cause a security breach,” she says giving him no time to question her as she hangs up.

She stands and started heading for the door when she sees Miss Griselda standing in her path.

“Out of my way,” she growls with barely restrained fury.

“On the contrary Miss Stella, you are to be judged in the Headmistress’ office right now.” 

Stella bristles at the older woman, “No. I already know I’m getting expelled and I already know I’m not cut out to be a fairy but right now my best friend needs me so you will move out of my way or so help me I will puncture you with a dozen lasers,” she says releasing the Staff of Solaria for good measure.

Griselda takes a step back and that’s all the advantage that Stella needs. She dashes and elbows passed the angry teacher running towards her suite.

She slams the doors open startling her roommates who scramble out of her way as she storms into her room and packs an overnight bag. Then wanting to waste no more time she uses the Staff of Solaria, struggling to shove her anger aside, and focuses on her breathing.

In. Out. Repeat twice. With a cry of Solaria, she’s gone, whisked away to the grounds of Red Fountain just as the Head of Discipline and Headmistress make it to her room.

She stumbles as her body materializes in front of the gate of Red Fountain leaning on the Staff heavily for support.

She barely gets a second to catch her breath before a pair of swords and a blaster are pointed at her, damned military people she has no time for their paranoia.

“State your name and purpose,” the guy holding the blaster says as he unlocks the security.

Stella is enraged by now and summoning what little remains of her composure puts on her best authorities voice and stands tall.

“I am Princess Stella of Solaria and I have come to talk to Prince Sky of Eraklyon, Timothy from squad AA347-Q9 should have already informed Headmaster Saladin of my arrival.”

The swords are pulled away from her throat but the soldiers are not at ease, “Visiting hours are over and you are not carrying any of the required entry permits that must be acquired in advance.”

She goes through her breathing exercises again so she doesn’t turn this poor cadet into a hole-riddled corpse.

“It is a matter of the utmost importance and urgency, I asked one of Prince Sky’s squadmates to inform Headmaster Saladin personally and if you keep delaying my entrance I will not be kind in my report of your disrespect for foreign dignitaries.” She says it slowly to make it sink into these guys heads that she can and she will make their lives hell if they do not cooperate.

“We would still require a confirmation of your identity Miss, otherwise it would be considered a security breach.”

She resists the urge to yell I’ll show you a security breach and instead in the coldest tone she can muster opens her arms and says, “Is the Staff of Solaria not enough proof of my identity, cadet?”

The idiot seems like he’s gonna protest again when he’s saved by the timely appearance of Riven.

Normally the sight of Riven just makes her gloomy but right now it makes her smile, a smile that has just as much edge as the swords pointed at her.

“Riven it is a pleasure to see you,” she greets him before the cadets see him and if the way they pale is any indicator he and his team outrank them. “Would you mind telling these gentlemen not to point their sharp objects at visiting royalty?”

She can sweat she sees Riven smirk which is one more tally for the Riven actually has a heart column before his face straightens out and he turns to his juniors, “At ease cadets,” then to her, “Prince Sky has asked me to escort you to our barracks as Squire Brandon is indisposed.” He says

“Why thank you Riven, I couldn’t ask for a more diligent escort.” She says already impatient.

“Headmaster Saladin has been informed of your arrival and has taken the liberty of informing Headmistress Faragonda,” he tells her as he starts to walk toward the dorm wing, then to the cadets, “return to your posts and next time someone undocumented comes barging in contact HQ and then follow standard protocol.”

As they walk for the dorm wing the moody Riven she knows returns in full force, “Can’t believe I have to play escort because Brandon is too busy moping to do his job.” He mutters.

Stella’s smile is strained as she refrains from blowing his head in for talking about her friend that way, “Do remember to remind Saladin that I am visiting in my official capacity as Princess of Solaria not a student of Alfea,” she says with a saccharine-sweet voice before continuing, “Tell me what happened to Brandon?” she asks softly.

Riven frowns, which from Riven could mean a whole range of different emotions, “There was a call from Solaria yesterday evening, lots of screaming, he was very angry and Prince Sky looked ready to punch a hole through the wall. Then this morning a letter arrived and he just snapped, Prince Sky kicked us all out of their room so don’t get your hopes up they’ll let you in,” then almost as an afterthought, “Brandon looked miserable, at first it was like someone had kicked his puppy but now he has the eyes of a dead man. He hasn’t left the room since the news came.”

Stella’s heart hurts just from hearing it. She can imagine Sky miserable and sobbing and  _ resigned _ over news from home, just like the nine-year-old that learned to accept he’d been sold to marriage for a long, long time.

She has a nagging feeling of what this might be about. And she hates it.

They reach the door to their dorm and she storms in like it’s her own home, which with how often she’s here it might as well be.

She slams the door to the common room open starling Timmy.

“Thanks for the heads up Timmy I owe you one,” she says before heading for the door she knows is Sky’s.

“It was no problem Princess,” Timmy said as he removed his delicate equipment from the very angry fairy's range of fire. 

She smiled at Timmy before turning toward the door, "Sky you have three seconds to open this door before I vaporize it," she said with no hint of hesitation. 

Instantly the door was pushed open wide enough for Brandon to slip his head through, he smiled when he saw her and stepped out keeping the door closed behind him. 

" Stella thank god you're here, he's passed out right now and I've gotten permission for you to stay the night," he said before giving her a peck on the cheek, "I'll room with the rest of the guys tonight." 

"you know you could join us if you want to," she said. 

Riven cut in before Brandon could answer, "is the princess trying to get a menage a trois with the prince and his squire, how scandalous," he said. 

Brandon glared at him before answering, "no. Right now what he needs is you," the turning back towards the rest of his squad, "and we need to get to the Dragon stables before Codatorta skins us, Brandon has already been excused so let's not waste any more time." 

"Thanks for everything guys," she yells at their retreating backs, "good luck with the dragons!" 

Timmy gives her a wave and Riven a head-nod that may have been a goodbye before closing the door behind him, once she can't hear their retreating steps on the hallway she turns around and opens the door. 

Sky looks like a mess. His hair is greasy and matted and he didn’t bother changing out of his tac-suit before he collapsed, upon closer inspection, she can tell his eyes are puffy. He’d been crying.

A glance at the room tell her he’d also been angry, there’s stuff all over the floor and shoved from its usual places, not to mention how stuffy the room feels. 

This won’t do. Seeing the mess when he wakes up will only make Sky feel worse.

Stella starts by pushing the curtains apart and opening the windows, getting some fresh air in here will be good. Then she methodically goes about picking up stuff shoved from desks and throwing dirty clothes in the hamper, for good measure she uses a dusting spell the rush of unauthorized magic making her feel revitalized even after the disaster in the Potions Lab.

Finally satisfied with her work she grabs her pyjamas from her overnight bag and goes into the bathroom to change.

Sky stirs when she’s leaving the bathroom, he looks very confused.

“Stella?”

“The one and only,” she says before tossing him a change of clothes, “now go take a shower because I could smell you all the way from the courtyard,” she finished pushing him in the direction of the bathroom before he can question her.

As soon as she can hear the faucet running she gets to work, with the assistance of more unauthorized magic she moves Brandon’s bed next to Sky’s so they can have a bigger space and sets up the holo-screen right in front of the beds.

Sky comes out of the bathroom and Stella can see what Riven was talking about, he’s shuffling along not even bothering to walk, his shoulders are slumped and the everpresent spark in his eyes is gone.

Stella wants to warp to Eraklyon and punch King Erendor inn the face, maybe even zap him a couple of times, but right now Brandon is right – like he always is – Sky needs her and damn Solaris herself if she won’t be here for him.

Stella wants to ask him what the news was so bad, but that isn’t what he needs right now so instead she smiles, “You’re just in time to help me pick the movie,” she says scooting over so he can lay on the bed.

Instead of laying on a pillow like a normal person her dork decides she’s apparently more comfortable than the standard-issue Red Fountain bedding, it doesn’t really bother her, both of them have always been the touchy-feely kind of people and she knows her presence gives him comfort.

They start scrolling through their options and it seems like they’ll be stuck on the search screen forever, nothing even interesting to watch. You’d think with hundreds of planets contributing the entertainment industry would make something actually you know  _ entertaining _ .

“The First Date, hah tell me that isn’t the most cliché title you’ve ever heard,” Sky says as she hovers over the poster so they can see a summary, “And to top it off the blandest most nondescript looking couple ever.”

She snorts, “It’s a school romance too, can’t imagine how they could make it more  _ boring _ .” She finishes scrolling further down before a poster that truly shouldn’t have made it past any decent marketing team shows up, “Oh Solaris, look at this monstrosity,  _ Me and You together _ , the Story of Us.”

“Why did they think naked against a stark neon background would be a good poster?” he laughed, “I feel like gouging my eyes out.”

“ _ Never Been Married, Struck by Love _ , what is happening to the romance film industry?” she says imitating the snooty film critic they’d met in Callisto.

“How much the wizard strikes his love interest with literal lighting is the meet-cute for that last one?”

“No bet!” 

At some point, her hands find themselves in his hair and she starts running her fingers through it gently untangling any knots she comes across.

“How about this one, it looks promising enough,” he says pulling up the summary for  _ Rome Antics _ what looked to be a speculative drama set on Earth of all things.

“Well, we’ve got nothing to lose!”

The movie starts slowly, with a witch getting stranded on Earth after It’d been declared off the grid and being taken in by a kind family in a city called Rome, she ran her fingers through Sky’s hair absentmindedly brushing it as the witch – Clarent – fell for the powerful fairy hiding amongst the rich and powerful courts.

And suddenly the mood changed as the witch, not nearly as unwilling to make use of her magic started staging increasingly crazy and improbable meeting for the two of them. Drawing the attention of the incompetent yet mildly inconvenient – and almost certainly inaccurate – Wizards of the Black Circle.

They laugh themselves silly all the way to the ending where the Black Circle kidnaps Clarent and Diana – the fairy – comes crashing in, wielding amateur magic and a ‘so crazy it may actually work’ breakout plan.

It ends with the lovers eloping and the Wizards vowing revenge  _ on the city of all things _ .

They’ve spent the whole movie cracking up and she can feel how much lighter the air around them is, just how much Sky needed this time to be Sky the person instead of Sky the Prince. He’s staring wistfully at the couple running off towards the distance with the same look in his eyes he always gets when the couple get a happily ever after, she briefly wonders if he’d looked at her first kiss with Brandon the same way.

“Are you going to cry?” she asks.

“N-no” he responds bravely trying to hide the crack in his voice.

“You are! You absolute sap don’t lie to me!” she yells shoving a pillow in his face.

“Stop, I yield! This is an unfair fight!” he’s barely containing his laughter.

“Oh because you would win in a fair fight?” she asks grabbing back the pillow only to hit him again.

“Of course not and that’s exactly why!”

Their laughing devolves into a pillow fight much like the ones they’d have in palace sitting rooms or drawing rooms while they were just kids waiting for their parents to come back from whatever business they were meeting for. And before long the collapse on the bed laughing and doing their best to catch their breath.

Stella uses even more unauthorized magic to conjure them some snacks and drinks before turning to rummage through her overnight bag. She  _ knows _ she packed it and keeps searching through the pockets before letting out a small whoop as she finds it.

Sky is trying to look over her shoulder in curiosity but as soon as he glimpses what she’s pulling out he lets out a squeal, she wishes she’d recorded it Brandon would never believe her.

“You didn’t!”

“Yes I did,” she says with a cheeky smile, sliding the data disk into the holo-screen port.

“I love you so much,”

“Who doesn’t?” she replies as the opening credits of  _ Kritia  _ start playing on the holo-screen.

They’d found the series during one of their movie night and had fallen in love; an over the top political drama that made them laugh just as much as it made them care about all the idiots that thought they could balance both politics and social lives inside the fantasy kingdom.

They'd been watching it almost since it came on air following every step of the Saye family’s slow rise to power and all the drama that came with it. The last season had left on a bitter note with Jaelyn clinging to life as her sickness took her and increasing proof that she’d been sabotaged, only to drop off when someone was holding a knife to her neck.

She settled herself slightly behind Sky and dragged the brush sitting on the nearby dresser while the characters on screen reacted much the way she and Sky had to Jaelyn’s current predicament.

“How did you even get this,” he asked as she started brushing his hair, “It isn’t supposed to come out until  _ next year _ at the earliest.” 

“Oh you know,” she replied working on one of the knots that had formed during their fight, “I asked around, pulled some strings, maybe be a bit nicer to Nova next time you two meet.”

On the screen, Jaelyn had been dragged to the Yate residence wherein the master of the estate was none too gently laying out the terms of her imprisonment. Meanwhile, Stella had set aside the brush and grabbed a fine comb to section off parts of Sky’s hair so she could get to work.

She finished the first braid as Oscar – Jaelyn’s youngest brother – got himself added to the hostage party after a failed attempt to rescue her. She kept working, twisting braids and interviewing them, doing her best to work with what little hair she had.

“You should grow out your hair,” she said absentmindedly as she tristed two braids around each other.

“Too much work,” was his only answer.

Satisfied with her work she decides to return the favour and lays down on top of Sky focusing on the screen as Jaelyn and her father negotiate with Morys Yate for the freedom of the captured Saye children.

The negotiations fall through and her father is thrown out when finally out of desperation Jaelyn caves and agrees to his conspicuously offscreen demands for Oscar’s freedom.

The episode ends on an ominous note and they hear nothing more from Jaelyn for quite some time as the focus shifts back to the main estate and one of Jaelyn’s sisters who’s been invited to the Royal Court by Queen Dunham.

They’re on edge, you don’t grow to love the family through eight seasons without learning to spot when they’ve gotten in more trouble than they can escape. When finally the tension breaks a letter arrives at the palace inviting Regina – who hasn’t seen her family in months – to the wedding of her sister with the Yate heir.

The next episode is a rush jumping between different family members’ travel preparations and Jaelyn’s tense negotiations of their arrangement with Morys closing with the newly engaged Lady seeing her brother off to their own home, her last words echoing as the screen fades to black.

“Take care my love, and go home,” the music ominously lowers in key, “for the greater good.”

Stella can practically feel the mood in the room turn Sky’s eyes clouding over as he thinks not about the show but whatever had him in such a foul shape before she arrived.

She shuts off the holo-screen and sits up so she can look him in the eyes, “Do you wanna talk about it?” she asks softly.

He sighs tilting his head back and closing his eyes just like he does before entering a council meeting. It looks like an unbearable weight has just been dropped on his shoulders and he’s struggling to hold on. She feels her disdain for King Erendor bubbling and rushes to smother it, her friend needs her here and now, not a few galaxies away killing his father.

She sits up and makes him look at her, “We don’t have to if you don’t want to. If you want to forget all about it and get smashed I can sneak you out, I won’t even get in trouble.” He looks at her suspiciously, “I swear I won’t, I’m already getting expelled from Alfea anyway.”

“You got expelled!?”

“I mean not yet, officially at least, but that isn’t the point. Stop trying to change the topic.”

Sky turned away from her, eyeing the window. “I –”

“Just say the word and I’ll have us ready for anonymous barhopping in Magix.”

“No,” he said finally making eye contact with her, “I wanna tell you, but only you, and well Brandon but he already knows and I guess my parents –”

Stella cut him off before he started to ramble, “Deep breaths Sky. Just keep breathing.” She said pausing to cast some sound cancelling spells around the room and check the door was locked, she looked back to see Sky had calmed down, “Go at you own pace, we can take as long as we want.”

“Don’t they kick you out of campus after the third consecutive day here?” 

“Not if they value their lives they won’t,” she growled.

Sky laughed, it was a bit strained but it was still laughter so Stella counted it as a win.

“Did your parents ever tell you why the engagement was broken off?” he asked abruptly.

She thought about it only to realize in all the months since the engagement had fallen through she’d never really known  _ why _ . It must have shown on her face because Sky continued without prompting.

“The main reason the engagement fell through was that my father had engaged me to someone else, your parents found out and felt insulted and thus decided to call it off despite the goodwill between us.” He snorted, “I’m pretty sure our friendship is the only reason diplomatic relationships between out kingdoms haven’t broken down yet.”

Stella took a moment to process that, it did explain the lack of visits to and from Eraklyon since the news. She then took a minute to smother her urge to go assassinate King Erendor, killing Sky’s father would do him no favours. That didn’t stop her from fantasizing.

“He’d apparently been looking for a way to stabilize our hold on the Throne, he has a whole folder of suitable fiancés for me that would guarantee alliances within our planet, the kingdom or some of our closest allies so they do not slip away. He accepted the arrangement your parents suggested because it was the most beneficial to us but that didn’t stop him from promising me to the royal family of Isis.”

Stella frown at the reminder of the precarious position of Eraklyon and the dangers it brought for Sky. To the Princess of the Sun and Moon, the girl who’d been raised a politician through and through, the girl who’d been tied to the Sword Ring not long ago to secure her claim to the throne King Erendor’s decision made sense on some level, despite the precaution destabilizing his position even more and almost isolating one of his greatest allies having backup plans was always a good idea.

But another part of her burned with The Great Dragon’s wrath that King Erendor would be so foolish and disconnected with his son, to sell him off like cattle with no regards to his thoughts, to multiple people no less. Her anger simmered beneath her skin, radiating sunlight in the dark room as the sun set outside.

“Did he at least tell you who it was this time,” she said with barely concealed anger.

There was a pause, Stella could feel the tension in the room, the way it got thicker as the air was saturated with pent up magic. She needed to calm down, blowing up the Potions Lab was one thing, blowing her best friend sky-high was another entirely.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Focus on controlling your source.

Sky was looking at her apprehensively when she opened her eyes, but the room no longer stank of stale magic. That only made the tension more clear.

Finally, Sky’s voice broke through the silence, “I’ve been engaged to Princess Diaspro Elazoul, youngest and last surviving daughter of King Mikael of the Kingdom of Isis.” He said it with a detached air as if he was trying to distance himself from the situation already.

Stella’s heart stopped cold in its tracks, “Is this the same Diaspro who has been saying she was your future wife since you were nine? The same one who continued saying that even after out courtship went public?”

“Yes, she is also the same Diaspro that forced her way past security to get to my rooms on the night of the announcement and claimed you being there was adulterous and an attack to her honour.” 

“Sky I’m killing your father.”

“Stella no!”

“Sky this isn’t fair at all! He isn’t only forcing you to marry  _ her _ , the mere fact that she’s been talking about it for so long suggests she’s been groomed from birth to be your bride and  _ nothing else _ . On top of  _ that _ since her sisters died in the war she is an heir to the throne who is not capable of shouldering it.”

“Yes, that is apparently the plan. An alliance to merge our kingdoms,” he said.

“No,” she said with finality, “we aren’t gonna discuss politics or how stupid your father is or how easy it would be to instate a coup with you as a figurehead and sit you on the throne right now. We are here to talk about your feelings which have been conspicuously absent from this discussion so far. Talk, right now, no more bottling that shit up or you’ll turn into Riven.”

Sky gave a long-suffering sigh before flopping on the bed.

“I just – I want to I swear but it’s all jumbled up and I don’t think I can deal with it. Not now, not ever.”

Stella’s eyes softened, “You know, fairy magic is based on positive emotions and channelling them to manipulate your magical energy. Miss Faragonda always tells us that the feelings the mind can’t understand by itself are easier to comprehend if you give them shape,” she said channelling al her love for Sky into a spere of sunlight sitting on her hand, “You don’t have magic but maybe putting that mess into words can help you disentangle it,” she finished willing the orb of light to blow up into a tiny fireworks display.

“It’s like, I thought I’d grown numb to my marriage at this point, like I know it’s not going to be in my hands to choose, ever. But I’d started to hope maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. Maybe my parents would break off all the backups and we’d be engaged again or maybe your friend the one from Calisto. I’d started to hope that maybe while it would be a political move it wouldn’t end up defining me. I’d be a King in my own right not the afterthought of greater Kings before and after me.”

And Stella can see it, see how every fibre of his being is torn between a desire – an overwhelming necessity – for freedom and the duty to the Throne that has been ingrained in him for so long that he can’t remember a him before Crown Prince Sky. She can see more clearly than she ever has how much Sky has fought to be where he is right now – to be the person he is – and still meet all the expectations set for him and it breaks her heart, to see her dearest, kindest, most sensitive friend torn apart at the seams by everything that makes him, well  _ him _ .

And she starts to cry. Really she’s such an idiot, he deserves some better friend that would do better than her, who could comfort him or maybe even get him out of the palace forever, but Stella is selfish and she’s not naïve, the shackles they share are heavy and old and she could never shrug them off, much less break his.

She settles for the second-best thing instead.

She takes off the Sword Ring and tosses it, her magic and her soul cry out at the distance and the pain of being separated from the piece of her tied to it but she pulls through. Sky has started crying, _when did he get so good at crying in silence?_ _why didn’t she notice?_ She turns to him and sits basically on top of his chest to pin him in place, make sure he looks at nothing but her.

“Sky, I want you to look at me.”

He does, his eyes are red and filled with tears, she can feel his chest shaking with silent sobs beneath her, can feel the way his breath hitches when he looks at her. He’s still avoiding her eyes.

She takes off the ring he gave her, it looks worn now, well lover from years of using it despite clashing colours and incorrect jewellery combinations.

“Sky you are a lot of things, but you can’t be everything to everyone all the time,” she hears him sobbing as he gives in, “you’re tearing yourself apart Sky and you can’t keep doing this,  _ you can’t _ ,” he voice breaks as she says it willing all her desperation into them.

“Stel”

“No Sky!” she’s yelling now, loud enough that she fears the spells she cast may not be enough to keep the sound inside, “Look at me Sku,  _ LOOK AT ME!” _

He meets her eyes, they’re both full of tears an uncontrolled emotions and she can tell the only reason her magic isn’t going haywire is that it recognizes Sky right beneath her in the line of fire, that instinctive primal connection only spurs her on.

“I have a best friend, a kind considerate boy who gave me this-” she takes a second to shove the ring in his face, “when I felt down, a reckless little boy who jumps off the stairs with me and followed me all the way to Magix,” she waves the hand with the ring in the vague direction of his tac-suit, “a courageous  _ stupid _ boy who doesn’t know his limits and would get in barfight to defend me that I’d have to end.”

She must look awful right now, in her pyjamas with her makeup smudged and her hair a mess and her ugly sobs. But that won’t stop her, not when it’s for Sky.

“I love you Sky,” she says pounding weakly on his chest, “I love you,  _ you _ the person, I love you so much. I’d do anything for you. If you want out right now say the word and we’re gone, if you want to stay I’ll stay by your side but  _ never, never let anyone – not even yourself – that you’re anything else before yourself. _ ”

And Sky is openly sobbing now, hiding his face in the crook of her neck as he cries, and they stay like that, for a long time.

“I love you,” she whispers.

“I love you too Stel,” he doesn’t need to say it back for her to know it but it still makes her beam.

“That’s it for gloom and doom today you idiot,” she says getting off him, “we need a pick me up, do you still have your copy of fate and misfortune?”

“Yeah,” he says looking for it in his drawers.

They plug it into the holo-screen and relax together as the corny theme song plays the rest of the night is spent watching and criticizing the stupid show and trading gossip about their classmates (“So he just left?! And Saladin  _ let him?!”  _ “Look I don’t know him either, don’t shoot the messenger!”) and even the staff (“Rumour has it the party at the beginning of the year is just an excuse for Faragonda, Saladin and Griffin to meet up and  _ rekindle _ their relationship.” “There is  _ no way _ , way Griselda would let that get thrown around by the students.”) and eventually, they drift off to sleep hugging each other.

“Well it looks like your squire got some of your Princess, Your Highness,” Riven mocks as the rest of the squad looks through the door to Brandon’s room, “I’d love to see what Brandon thinks of these tomorrow,” he says as he takes a few pictures.

“They look adorable,” says Timmy as he watches Brandon snoring, “and Saladin is probably going to kill us all.”

Brandon looks at Stella and Sky with a look that speaks of fondness and years of friendship, “They’re idiots who are gonna get us all killed but they’re my idiots nonetheless.” He says before bracing himself, “Hey Riven, I want copies of those photos,” and then he walks into the room to wake them up.

Both his teammates shoot him looks of pity, and he tells himself they’ll pay for that.

Meanwhile back at Alfea Griselda asks Headmistress Faragonda what they should do about Princess Stella.

“Why, let her enrol for the next term, after all rushing to help those in need is the core of fairy magic.”

And if for the next five years all correspondence from Solariaan diplomats to Eraklyon is addressed directly toward the Queen and Crown Prince and explicitly avoids any mention of the King, no one can begrudge them for it due to the way he’d treated their beloved Princess Stella.

~~~~~~

Stella is nineteen when Valtor escapes. She is nineteen and has saved the world two times. She is nineteen and despite being a real fairy all she can do is fear.

From the moment where everything went horribly wrong during her Princess Ball, something dark settles in her gut a feeling that things will keep going wrong for an indefinite amount of time.

She does her best to brush it aside during their quest for the mirror of truth and to ignore the number of Seers that she can recall have been born to her mother’s side of the family, and for the most part, it works she’s too caught up in the chaos of the quest and, later, in the revelation of just how much Brandon and her friends love her. In retrospect, the mirror would've probably been easier to face with Sky there, she’s beaten his worth into his head enough times that he probably knows how to turn the tables on her easily.

But that feeling has been growing steadily since they’d gone to help Aisha on Andros from an unnatural pressure in the pit of her stomach to an almost overwhelming ache behind her heart.

At first, she’d thought it was because of her father, the thought of him under the control of Countess Cassandra and her wretched daughter Chimera, discovering that he wore the Mark of Valtor only reinforced that feeling.

It all comes to a head the night of Eraklyon’s Millenium Anniversary celebration. Stella had known it was coming, of course, the Royal Solarian family is always invited and even with her  _ precarious _ home situation she had been personally invited by Sky. The idiot had always been a bit of a romantic so he asked her to not tell Bloom, a sap is what he was.

And even though Sky looked at Bloom like she was his sun and moon during the first dance she felt the pain in her hear get worse and worse. It spiked when he went off to find his parents for the courtship announcement. 

The announcement itself starts well enough, with the sappy speech he has rehearsed in front of her through video calls for weeks, the words of a lovestruck idiot given eloquence by virtue of repetition but she can tell the second he hesitates before her name that something has gone wrong.

Princess Diaspro is called to the dais her courtship with Prince Sky announced on the Millenium Celebration of the Kingdom of Eraklyon. She and Brandon make eye contact and she can see the same confusion and rage and most importantly suspicion in his eyes.

“He’s insane,” Brandon adds to the chorus of disbelief meaningfully holding her gaze.

Then she turns and sees King Erendor smiling, he has the gall to  _ smile _ . She has half a mind to go over there and sock him right I the face, add a few lasers for good measure, but Bloom is crying and she needs reassurance that she wasn’t played with.

Stella’s whole body recoils at the mere idea of Sky doing something like what Bloom suggests, sure he’s stupid but he’d never willingly hurt and  _ humiliate  _ someone like this, he’s kind and empathetic and she knows exactly what he thinks of Diaspro.

“Bloom,” she says softly, “I’ve known Sky for a very long time and the  _ must _ be something behind all this. He wouldn’t play with someone’s heart like this, never.”

Brandon nods his assent but Bloom heartbroken as she is she continues moping and believing that he’d led her on.

“Diaspro used to be his girlfriend,” Stella flinches at the word, Bloom never seems to quite get the complexities of political life, it can be bothersome at times like this when she assigns sentiment to arrangements that used to have none, “maybe all this time he was just pretending to lobe me while he thought of her.” She wails.

And Stella is mad, so so mad, and she loves Bloom instinctively wants to take her side but she also knows Sky, she loves him too, and she knows for a fact Sky wouldn’t do this. Not so suddenly and with no explanation. So instead of going with her gut, she takes a breath and plans.

“Flora, Tecna get Bloom out of here,” she locks eyes with Brandon and meaningfully glances at the palace gates only once he’s signalled Timmy to leave does she turn to the rest of her friends, “Musa, Aisha you're with me, I do all the talking. Riven keep an eye on Bloom and the girls.”

Brandon seamlessly slips into the crown to use the servants' corridors so he can reach the Eraklyon Royals, meanwhile, she composes herself and meaningfully walks towards the dais where Diaspro is clinging to Sky and whispering something to him. 

The guards are about to stop them when she speaks, “I wish to give Prince Sky my congratulations personally,” she adds a smile the one she knows gets people to do what she wants them to, “why we’ve known each other since we were toddlers it would be disgraceful if a friend of the family were to leave without doing so!”

She can see the second the guard recognizes her, “Princess Stella! But of course, it would be my pleasure to escort you to Their Royal Majesties.”

She can see Diaspro muttering something else in Sky’s ear.

“Sky it’s wonderful to see you-” she barely manages to get out before he screams.

“Guard arrest those witches right now!”

She can hear King Erendor demanding an explanation from his son but all she can register are his eyes, they are cold and merciless and  _ dead _ . 

That is not Sky.

The Royal Guard hesitates wary of attacking a foreign royal, much less one that up until a few days ago was the Prince’s best friend.

Stella doesn’t make that same mistake, “Run!” she yells.

She unleashes a flash of light to blind the guards then turn to King Erendor, “Lovely seeing you again your Majesties, I’ll visit again soon,” before pulling the girls towards the gardens where they’ll have some cover, they can sneak through them to where the ship is parked and get out of there.

“Come on! We can sneak through the gardens and meet up with everyone else at the ship,” she tells Musa and Aisha as they round the corner into the hedge maze. 

By the third dead end, she really regrets not memorizing the way to the exit or the centre of the maze when she had the chance to, the steady beat of the guards’ boot somewhere behind them a painful reminder of what just happened.

“We have to fight back!” Aisha screams from somewhere to her right, “If we don’t then we’ll bee stuck in the dungeons or worse!”

Stella shakes her head, “We can’t hurt the guards, that would only make it easier for them to be turned against us.”

“Then what do we do!” she hears Musa yell as she ducks a shot, “Ask for permission to leave like well-mannered fairies?!”

“You did well in Palladium’s environment navigation assignment, rush ahead and get a lay of the maze Aisha and I will hold them off!”

Musa looks at her like she’s crazy but she still keeps running through the labyrinth, using sound waves to map their way out. Good, Stella puts on her best crying face and urges Aisha to do the same before the guards catch up to them.

“Why would he do that! Does our friendship really mean nothing to him,” she puts all she has into making this part believable, “Oh Solaris! I’m a mess. I’m sorry you have to deal with this Princess Aisha.”

Aisha seems to be catching on quickly and the guards are stalled at the sight of the Princesses of Solaria and Andros crying in the middle of the hedge maze.

“Princes Stella?” one of them asks hesitantly, he recognizes her hopefully from her many years coming to the palace and not the fiasco at the dais.

She makes a show of taking a deep breath and composing herself, Aisha leans into it by pretending to be giving her comfort and grabbing her hand, “Yes that is me.”

The guard looks cowed in the face of two crying Princesses, good they have a better shot if he’s off his game.

“Princess Stella we would appreciate it if you would allow us to escort you and your friend back inside the palace,” he talks to her like she’s made of glass, “there must’ve been a misunderstanding of some kind and I am certain that His Majesty will be able to clear everything up.”

“Of course,” she says adding a sniffle for show, “but you must help us, one of my friends got lost in the maze when they chased after me and I loathe to think what might become of her if the rest of the guard finds her and arrests her.”

“Oh yes, Lady Musa was so worried for you Princess Stella,” Aisha says wistfully, “I would not forgive myself if anything happened to her.”

They must’ve sold the story well because the guards escort them deeper into the maze while she and Aisha yell for Musa to come back. They round a corner and find her, she freezes obviously scared to see them with the guards before she and Aisha launch themselves at her.

“Oh, Musa we were so worried!” Aisha practically yells, then in the lowest voice she can manage, “play along, Stella has a plan.”

“I was dreadfully scared for your fate my dear friend,” she says then looking to excuse her magic which still shimmers at the tip of her fingers, “were you trying to find us too? Your magic must have a dreadfully small range for you to get lost.”

Musa narrows her eyes at them and then at the guards, “This place is confusing, all the living matter messes with my soundwaves too.”

The guards close the distance and start gearing them back the way they came but Stella stops them.

“Oh but we must be much closer to the exit near the parlour than the one next to the palace, it would be a waste of our time to navigate all the way back.”

“Your Highnesses we have orders to escort you back to the palace,” the same guard from before.

“But Princess Stella is right, it would be much more efficient to head to the palace once we’re out of the maze.”

“Alright, but please stay behind us ladies, there are dangerous individuals on the loose tonight.”

With the help of the guards to navigate they leave the labyrinth only to emerge to total chaos. There are guards everywhere and she catches a glimpse of Flora and Techna trying to drag Bloom away from an enraged Sky.

The demure act won’t work anymore.

“Aisha, go make sure nothing happens to Bloom, I need to have a word with Sky,” she says with barely contained anger.

She can feel Musa on her heels as she stomps toward the raging Prince and takes comfort in the presence of her friend, it’s always good to have backup you can trust.

“ **_SKY!_ ** ” she yells dragging his attention away from the rest of her friends, hopefully, they take the chance to get Bloom away from here before she does something stupid. “ _ What is the meaning of all this! _ ”

He turns to look at her and now that his attention is away from Bloom his eyes seem to soften, he runs towards her with resolution and hugs her when she’s finally close enough.

“Stella!” she can hear the relief on his voice, feel his body sag against hers, “I was worried sick. I thought the  _ witch _ -” she can feel the venom in his voice as he turns to look at Bloom where she’s still stubbornly standing too close for her own good, “-had gotten you and then I couldn’t find you amongst the guests –”

She puts a finger against his mouth to shut him up, she looks into his eyes and they look just like they always have, the kindness and the spark of life are back. But she can’t ignore how they disappear at the mere mention of Bloom, especially when she can feel the weight of her friend's gaze on her back.

She catches Aisha transforming where she and the rest of the girls are settling around Bloom like a defensive shield, Musa’s steady presence at her back gives her the strength to push Sky away.

“Sky, why did you set the guards on me?” she asks no beating around the bush.

“But I didn’t set the guards on you, I set the guards on the witches,” He looks so worried, “I wouldn't hurt you Stel,” then with an edge of desperation, “ _ You know that right? _ ”

“Sky you set the guards on me and my friends.” She says now with more care because he seems like he’s going to break. “There are no witches here.”

He looks downright panicked now she takes a step forward and feels Musa slipping into a fighting stance behind her.

“But I  _ wouldn’t _ . I wouldn’t hurt you Stel, I love you!” his eyes are darting every possible way like he’s trying to avoid looking at her, “Diaspro told there were witches here, that they were spies of Valtor trying to hurt her. That girl and her friends! They must’ve done something –”

“Sky, they aren’t witches. Diaspro was lying.”

It must’ve had an effect on him because he’s backing away and he looks so confused, his eyes flicker between the dead look and his own eyes as he holds his head in pain and he screams. Those screams will haunt her nightmares for quite some time he sounded like he was on horrible pain as he fell to his knees clutching his head. 

Everything stops for a second and then suddenly he’s on his feet and aiming his bow right at Bloom's chest with the awful dead-eyed stare back.

He doesn’t get a chance to shoot as Musa, bless her and her quick thinking sweeps his legs from under him. Stella doesn’t need to be told again, she runs toward the rest of the girls allowing Aisha to raise a morphix barrier at their back.

“We’ve got to get back to the ship!” Techna yells as she starts leading the way.

Stella is about to follow her when she sees Bloom linger near the barrier where Sky is still trying to fire at them.

Flora notices too, “Bloom, are you coming?” she asks softly.

“Go on, I’ll join you in a minute,” her voice is distant, distracted.

Stella makes appoint of lingering even if she’s far away enough to not hear their conversation.

Bloom comes back to them looking even worse than before, her eyes are red and puffy and she refuses to hold her gaze, she’ll deal with it later she resolves as they run through the forest to the clearing where the ship is parked.

She can see Timmy and Riven steeled for takeoff Brandon waving them forward by the door she smiles, they’ll get out of here and figure out what the hell is going on with Sky soon enough. 

Of course, that’s when everything goes wrong. A torrent of Dragonfire cuts through the foliage striking Flora inn the back, she faints probably from shock and Stella can’t help the rage she feels when she looks at the blisters already forming on her back.

She looks up to see Sky spouting something about burning the witches with fire as they did in the olden days, Stella doesn’t want to but she does what Bloom says, she’s the one immune to fire after all.

Brandon and Timmy take Flora towards the ship reassuring the girls that they can go give Bloom some much-needed backup.

“Traitors!” Sky yells looking at her and Brandon, “These witches have put a spell you!”

“I have no idea what has gotten into you but you’re acting like a lunatic!” Brandon yells back.

A bolt flies through the air, barely grazing Brandon’s bicep, Sky’s voice cuts through the silence that has settled over the group, “Then take that as a reminder that you are on the wrong side.”

“Brandon!” she cries rushing to his side to make sure it isn’t a deep cut.

“I’m fine Stella, all that’s really hurt are my feelings.”

Before he can say anything else more dragons arrive, their riders pointing them towards the ship.

“Timmy! Get Flora on the ship and be ready for takeoff,” then turning to look at the rest of the fairies, “We’ll deal with the lizards.”

They take off flying toward the courtyard where there is open space and hoping they can distract the dragons for enough time to let Aisha do her thing, they weave through the air using impractical but fancy manoeuvres that make the dragons focus on them.

While their focus is on the Aisha casts her spell, conjuring muzzles and blinders for the dragons, the first two riders lose control and plummet to the ground incapacitated, the third dragon shakes off its rider and manages to land but in its confusion rampages through the party where guests are being evacuated.

Stella feels a pang of guilt as they head for the ship, there are people there who may bet hurt, but she can see the dragon handlers waking up and gearing up to deal with it. They can take care of themselves and she and the girls will make sure they can reverse whatever has been done to Sky.

But then she hears the scream, it’s not just any scream, that’s her father.

He vision goes blurry and before she can really register it she’s right where he is, standing between him and a dragon. She forces it back with a wave of light but it recovers quickly, shaking off the muzzle and blinders as it thrashes.

Stella steels herself dodging Dragonfire and summoning the Staff of Solaria, she calls out a spell but the creature dodges and starts spraying fire directly towards her dad.

“ **_NO! DAD!_ ** ” she screams throwing herself directly into the torrent of flames.

She uses the Staff of Solaria to part the flames making sure they avoid her father and pushing all her magic and concentration into the spell.

She focuses on her magic even as she feels her skin blister and the scorching flames heat the metal shaft of the staff burning her hands, she breathes deeply through the pain and starts absorbing the energy from the fire instead, channelling it back out through the staff.

She falls limp to the ground the Staff clattering next to her and then there’s nothing.

It’s dark and cold and then a blinding light breaks through the dark haze and she’s laying in her father’s arms. She feels different, stronger.

But she contents herself with giving her father a hug. It’s more than that and they both know it, it is a promise, one she hopes her father will remember.

She breaks away and dashes to the ship spreading her new wings.

Once they're on the ship she stays next to Bloom, she misses Brandon already but they’d both agreed he needed to stay behind to keep an eye on Sky.

Her heart cries for all the people she’s left behind and can’t keep her traitorous mouth from spilling out her thoughts, “We both left something behind didn’t we?”

Bloom looks at her wistfully, also stuck in that grief and worry over people who can’t quite care at the moment, but there’s a hint of suspicion there, it unnerves her.

And then Stella realizes that today is the first time Bloom has ever seen her be so close with Sky, and it must make her uncomfortable today of all days when her heart is already filled with doubts and suspicion.

Bloom’s voice cuts through her train of thought, “We both left a piece of our heart Stella,” then her eyes shine with the determination that Stella so loves seeing on her friend, “but we’re going to get it back. I promise you.”

The next few days are a jumbled mess that blend together in between sleepless nights and useless worrying, her mind spins in endless circles about everything that’s happened from her father and Solaria to Sky and Brandon – stuck with no backup on Eraklyon – to Bloom who has become a bit of a heartbroken ghost floating aimlessly through the halls of Alfea.

By the third day with no word from Brandon she’s ready to tear her hair out still going crazy over all the things that could’ve gone wrong, all the things that could’ve happened to keep him from contacting her. It only gets worse when Bloom decides to leave, it’s like she’s losing sight of all the most important people in her life all of them just out of her reach, far away enough that she can’t be there for them at a moments notice.

The rest of the girls notice, of course they do. They're also her friends but she’s so frayed at the edges that she struggles to keep herself together, to go through her days like everything is fine and all her friends are still safe and sound within arms reach.

That doesn’t mean she doesn’t appreciate all the small things they do for her, the cup of fresh tea that’s always on her dresser when she leaves the bathroom no doubt left there by Flora, the way her electronics never seem to run out of battery even when she barely puts them down or allows them to recharge – Techna isn’t as subtle as she likes to think, Aisha silently joining her on her morning runs, even Musa’s deliberate and constant attempts to rile her up.

She really should do something to thank them when this is all over, she has some really amazing friends. But thinking about that just gets her stuck on loop thinking about all the glaring holes in her life, the void where Bloom should be walking to class next to them, the radio silence from her phone from both Brandon and Sky, the lack of mail from Solaria wrapped in layers of bureaucracy and tonal discrepancy from being written by both her parents.

By the second week of Bloom’ self-imposed exile, Stella is a ball of barely contained stress, the cryptic phonecall she gets from Brandon does her no favours as all her relief at seeing him safe and whole is overridden by the urgency with which he speaks of the situation on Eraklyon.

It all comes to a head on the day of the announcement, she’s hanging out in her room with Techna because by now the girls have decided it’s best for her not to be alone, they have a rotation and everything, they’re going overboard but she appreciates it nonetheless.

She watches through the screen of Techna’s laptop as King Erendor and Sky announce his engagement with a smile on his face, he even says they’ve foregone the customary long courtship preferred by the Eraklyan nobility.

Through the whole function Sky never loses his smile nor does it look forced, it’s such an inherent contradiction to everything she knows Sky truly thinks of the matter that she feels the need to puke.

She has to do  _ something _ .

First, she makes up her mind she’ll go to Gardenia and tell Bloom the news. Bloom deserves to know and Stella should be the one to tell her. After that they’ll just improvise, she’s never really been much good with plans anyway.

Almost everything after that until they reach the Royal Palace in Eraklyon is a blur of shapes and sounds, she’s almost sure they have a plan but she can’t really be bothered to remember it.

They land in the middle of the Royal gardens and everything comes into sharp focus as Stella guides them through the labyrinthine halls of the Palace, her feet move almost automatically retracing the path she’s taken hundreds of times to avoid the royal guard. Right from the guest wing, enter thee servant’s corridors in the wall of the third drawing room, left, left, right, down the corridor through the first door.

They come in through the service door of Sky’s room, he’s standing in front of the mirror in a pure white suit. He always told her he’d like to be married wearing all the shades of the sky that was his namesake.

He perks up when he hears the door opens just like he always does, he’s kind to the servants greets them and asks about their families, and when she came through the door he’d always tackle her and hug her and then they’d spend the evening together and happy.

They’re lucky, Princess Diaspro isn’t in the room and the guards are stationed outside the door. She frowns, they should keep better watch of the service corridors, it’s already shown to be a security hazard.

He turns and when he looks at her she can almost see him doing the same thing they always do, it almost feels like he's gonna run and hug her until she can breathe and then they’ll spend the day swapping gossip and talking about everything and nothing at all.

But then his eyes catch sight of Bloom and the girls behind her and his eyes go cold.

“Hey Sky,” her friend asks hesitantly, “do you have a minute for me?”

“I don’t know how you got in here but you must leave, immediately.” He says.

His voice is cold and emotionless and Stella almost prefers the enraged tone of the day of the Millenium to this utter blank in her best friends place.

“First I need to talk you, I need to know what happened,” she says resolutely, “you said you loved me and I thought it was true.” she continues with a tinge of desperation on her voice, “But then you made the announcement –”

Sky cuts her off abruptly, “Well you’re very much mistaken Bloom I’ve always loved Diaspro,” he says the venom filtering back into his words as he raises his voice, “And I don’t wanna hear one more word,  _ you witch! _ ”

Stella tenses as Sky draws his sword this is going south faster than she thought it would, her feeling is only reaffirmed by the sound of heels clicking down the hall, getting closer to the door every second.

Bloom backs away from Sky in fear and they’ve all started to assume defensive positions when the doors are flung open. Diaspro stands there gasping for a second as Bloom tries to make excuses before she comes to he senses and orders the guards to seize them. These guards have obviously never met her because they run into the fray with no hesitation.

They run for the door the guards rushing behind them but Flora is faster, she can’t see the result of her spell focused as she is on running through the halls and trying to remember where the exit is bur she can hear the surprised yelps of the guards as they try to avoid whatever Flora left behind them.

They’re running through the intersection between the housing wing and the servants’ halls when she’s suddenly pulled into an alcove.

She doesn’t think and thrown a punch only to hear a familiar voice cry in pain.

“I was gonna ask if you girls needed some help,” he says massaging his jaw, “but it seems you’ve got it under control.”

“Brandon!” she says pulling him into a hug.

“I was gonna call you later tonight,” he says turning toward the rest of the girls when they stand just outside the alcove, “but I’m glad to see you. I’ve been here doing my best to find out what’s up with Sky but Diapro never leaves him alone –”

He seems like he’s about to say more but he’s cut off by the yells of the approaching guards.

“Look for them. They’re still somewhere in the palace!”

Brandon locks eyes with Stella and then pushes a nearby statue revealing another secret passage, “I’ll take care of the guards, you girls go. This will take you to the Hall of Kings, Stella can take you from there.”

“Branon be careful!” she calls back as the doorway to the tunnel closes behind them.

“Don’t worry about me Stella, I’ll be fine,” he says and then all she can hear is the clash of weapons.

They rush through the dark hallway coming out behind a suit of armour in the Hall of Kings, Stella is already leading them to the door when they hear Sky from the overhead corridor.

“So girls where were we?” he asks mockingly drawing his sword before jumping from the ledge.

He lands just before them, and then in cruel tone, “It might’ve been easy getting in here, but it won’t be so easy getting out.”

Then he charges toward the closest target sword poised to strike. Musa manages to dodge the swing but she won’t be that lick forever.

“I’m sorry Sky but you asked for it,” she says before releasing a powerful burst of magic as she transforms.

Clearly whatever Diaspro has done to him hasn’t undone his years of training because he immediately turns towards her identifying her as the biggest threat in the room.

He makes a slash that grazes her arm and she does her best to fly out of range then casts a spell.

The shimmering barrier can only hold him in place for so long and breaking out he rushes towards Bloom. He hits her with the flat side of the blade with an inordinate amount of strength and then turns toward Musa but he’s started losing his composure.

He swings his sword wildly with no regard for any strategy.

“I don’t wanna fight you Sky,” she hears Bloom say before shooting a spell to disarm him. “I just wanna talk, if you really want me out of your life I’ll leave.”

His sword flies out of his hand and the recoil pushes him closer to the suits of armour.

He yells, ripping an axe from the armour, “You’re already out of my life!”

Stella can’t let this go on any longer, she won’t let her friends get hurt. 

“That’s enough!” she screams shooting another spell directly at him.

Sky skids across the floor ripping the delicate fabric of his suit. She’s flying down when she hears Bloom gasp.

“That’s Valtor’s mark!”

And her heart stops. She feels nauseous, there are voices around her probably the girls talking about it but right now all she can see is Sky laying there on the floor, hurt and under the control of  _ that monster _ .

She’s nineteen and she’s terrified for her friend, for his life and his free will and she absolutely fucking terrified that she’s going to lose him forever.

She lowers herself to the ground, someone mentioned fairy dust. Fairy dust, she can do that, right break the spell, that’s what she’s gonna do.

Use her fairy dust to break the spell. Right.

She kneels next to him, there’s a nasty burn on his chest from where her spell hit him and there hidden near his collarbone out of sight is the mark.

She plucks the vial from her choker and removes the lid.

This has to be enough, she has to do it. She has to.

She sprinkles the dust over the mark, carefully so she won’t hurt him more.

But nothing is happening. Nothing. The dust sinks into his skin but the mark doesn’t disappear nor does he wake up.

Stella is on the verge of tears. This can’t be happening, this isn’t how he goes. She didn’t just fail her best friend like this.

And then he starts to writhe in pain. It looks agonizing and Stella  _ is _ crying now because this could be a failsafe, the mark could be reacting to the fairy dust by  _ killing him _ .

_ She just killed her best friend _ .

Then he goes limp, and oh god she’s sobbing over her bests friend’s  _ dead body _ .

She can hear her sobs and the sniffles Bloom is aggressively trying to hide echoing through the chamber, she can hear the hesitant steps of someone probably coming to comfort her.

And then he stirs. His eyes flutter open and he looks so confused but he  _ alive _ .

“The mark is gone,” Musa says next to her.

She throws herself at him, hears his breath hitch as she crashes into him. She can see Bloom trying to push her away so she can have a reunion with her boyfriend or something but right now she is not having it.

“Fuck off Bloom, you can snog your boyfriend after I’ve cried in my best friend’s arms.” Still holding on to him for dear life.

She hears Flora snort and Musa is full-on laughing next to her and she smiles.

“You were always super possessive with me,” he says.

Stella beams, he’s alive and he’s here and he’s just like she remembers him. Then she punches him in the arm, as hard as she can.

“Ouch! What was that for?”

“For being an idiot!” she says. Bloom has joined the rest of the girls in laughing at him.

“But you would punch an injured man,” he says with fake dramatism.

“If you’re well enough to joke you can take a punch,” she says matter of factly.

Their moment was unfortunately interrupted by the sound of the guards rushing towards them weapons drawn.

Diaspro’s voice is loud and clear even though all the commotion, “There they are! Arrest them!” 

Stella is filled with rage, pure unbridled rage for this  _ naïve idiot _ – because that’s what Diaspro is despite everything, a naïve, sheltered idiot who doesn’t know any better – that got her friend curse by Valtor.

“Time for us to hit the road girls,” Musa says and Stella finally notices that the rest of her friends have transformed.

“Over there,” she says dismissing her transformation and pointing to the balcony, “get back to Alfea I’ll handle things back here.”

“You’re staying behind,” Flora says, “but we aren’t sure if the spell is fully broken.”

“All the more reason for me to stay, we don't have time to argue get to the ship.” Then as an afterthought, “I’ll be fine”

Once the girls are safely out the window she turns to face the guards that have encircled her and Sky, one of the breaks the line to let Princess Diaspro through.

“Get away from that witch Sky,” she says coldly.

Sky looks like she’s gonna retort but Stella shushes him and stands up. She summons all of the poise she has taking into account the tears still streaking her face and her messy clothes.

“Princess Diaspro within the palace of Eraklyon you are in no right to execute authority under martial law,” the turning to the head of the guards, “You are to present the case of the break-in and the enchantment Prince Sky was under to King Erendor, I will testify but until then…”

She turns to look at Sky who’s gotten to his feet unsteadily and puts his arm across her shoulders so he can lean his weight on her, “Until then Prince Sky and I will be in his rooms, there are after all several seasons of Project Runway that we need to finish, aren’t there Sky?”

He smiles back at her as bright as the sun and his eyes lighting up like stars, “Yeah Stel, there are.”

There are still worries of course, the girls – hopefully – at Alfea, the trial she’s just signed herself up for, Aisha who disappeared off to Andros, Valtor still at large in the Magical Dimension.

But right now looking at her best friend she can’t really bring herself to care.

“Race you to my room,” he says suddenly dislodging himself from her and rushing through the halls.

“Hey, that’s not fair!” she yells laughing as she chases after him.

~~~~~~

BONUS

“Wow your dad sure loves to engage you to people at random, are you sure you aren’t a cow Sky?” she asks one day while he plays on the holo-screen with Brandon.

“Shut up Stel!” 

“Look I’m just saying, first it was me, then Diaspro, then we found papers for nuptial engagements with both Princesses Varanda and Krystal.” She says counting them off with her fingers.

“Don’t forget that before the fall of Domino he was engaged to Bloom!” Brandon says as his character punches Sky’s in the face.

“What the hell dude aren’t you supposed to be on my side?” Sky asks incredulously.

“Dude I’ve seen Queen Samara filtering through the candidates if your engagement with Bloom fell through there are  _ at least _ 8 more candidates lined up,” Brandon says nonchalantly.

“Thanks sweetie!”

“Always babe”

“But see that proves my point, your dad sees you like a piece of cattle I say we kill him,” she says

“She is right. Your dad’s an asshole.” Brendon says “and I’m going to call you Skow.”

“You two are the worst, and you aren’t killing my dad. I’m not ready to be king.” He says burying his face in a pillow.

“Spoilsport,” she says pouting.

At the same time, Brandon says, “That’s why you love us.” 

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to point out any mistakes or unclear things, I'd like to hear if the bit with the specialists' is confusing to anyone especially. And thank you all for reading!


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